4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[OPPERS]

Hello Duck Fans, ive just joined this forum due to my love of ducks and also have a sensitive type of question!

I have been offered some Aylesburys but only want 1 drake and the others to be ducks, for breeding. The small holding im getting them from didnt seem to sure on the sexing process! Are there any hints or tips on this delicate subject?

[Cate in NZ]

Hi OPPERS, welcome to the forum

I'm afraid that I know nothing useful about ducks, so I'm unable to help with your question. Unfortunately we only have a very small cohort of experienced duck owners (with Lesley at the helm ) but I've not seen them around for a few days. I don't know if that's 'cos they're on holiday, busy, or I'm just looking at the wrong times, but if it's the former there may be a little delay until you get an answer from here

So I'd suggest checking out the ..Practical Poultry forum... It's a much bigger and busier forum (but is nowhere near as friendly as ours in my opinion ) and there are loads of very experienced poultry owners on there who will certainly try to answer your questions.

Do us a favour though please, if you get a great answer please come back and tell us for our information .

[lisamarie]

I have two aylesbury ducklings and am wondering this myself,I know that when they are older the drake gets a curly feathered bit on his tail and also his quack is deeper and louder than the ducks...but until they are bigger I guess neither of us will know!!!! good luck anyway!

[Lesley]

Agree with the curly tail feathers, but they often don't appear for some time and so it is very difficult to tell until they're quite old. Our drake makes a much quieter noise than the duck - they are white Campbells.

 

We had 3 ducks from a local breeder but told him we only wanted ducks and we returned two once we realised that they were drakes - perhaps you could do that?

[helenthomas7]

Hiya, I have just joined the forum and have a similar question to you. I have 3 Ayleburys - 2 commercial type and 1 utility.

 

I am getting loads of eggs from them, but my little utility is looking quite shabby. Have been trying to work out the sexes but am really struggling. As yet there is no difference in tail feathers and I can't distinguish between their quacks either. I thought I had 1 boy as there was a lot of 'activity' going on in the pond, but through watching this they all seem to be doing this to each other!! One lies flat in the water, another stands on them pecking at their head and the 3rd stands by bobbing its head up and down, but I can't actually see any mating going on! Oh, and they all swap roles! Please could someone shed some light on this for me, if they were all girls - would they go through this process cos they felt fruity??

[lisamarie]

your ducks must be as confused as you are! how funny ey? well none of us seem to know how to tell them apart! we just finished our pond and are about to build them a nice house now!cant wait....they do grow quick though!

[tara]

Hello l had call hatchlings and was shown how to sex them but you have to be very carful as you could hurt them.You put the duck between your legs facing down and go to the bottom area then use your 2 fingers to very carfuly press down on the sides to see if somthing very little pops out kind of like a grain of rice then you know you have a boy and if nothing then you have a girl.But this can hurt them if not done with a lot of care.Hope that helps

[rusky123]

Just listen to their voices. Ducks quack, drakes squeak. Have 6 ducklings 2,3 months old, 4, 2 months, can tell them apart already. Albert is really Paris Hilton.